


After

by johnbrannox



Category: The New Pope
Genre: Afterlife, Gen, Heaven, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:15:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29215527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnbrannox/pseuds/johnbrannox
Summary: What comes after?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	After

The air was warm and humid, a gentle breeze bringing with it the tang of marine salt and sand. Brannox knew even before he had opened his eyes that he was on a beach.

(But why – and _how_?)

For a moment he wondered if he had somehow found himself back in Lourdes. Upon opening his eyes, however, he realised that he didn’t recognise his surroundings in the slightest. The coastline at Lourdes had been gravelly and rocky, the atmosphere grey and gloomy as befitting the sombre reason for his visit – but here was different. Here, the shore was paved with fine golden sand and the sky was a rich, tranquil blue; here, the sea shone and shimmered, radiant and warm in the afternoon sun, as if it were made up of millions of tiny shards of broken glass.

Intrigued by this unfamiliar locale in which he had mysteriously found himself, he pushed himself up from the reclining beach chair on which he had awoken and looked out into the horizon.

Far in the distance, he could see a disturbance in the water. What began as mild ripples on the surface gradually took the form of something breaking through the surface.

The dizzying glint of sunlight infinitely reflected in the sea of broken glass was blinding him and addling his mind, he thought, and he squinted to get a better look at the peculiarity he had spotted, to make sure that it wasn’t but a hazy mirage.

No, he wasn’t imagining it. Something – no, some _one_ , it would seem – was in fact emerging from the water.

With the smallest of sighs that belied his inflamed curiosity, Brannox got onto his feet heavily. Mirroring the motions of the figure in the sea, he walked with great purpose towards the very edge of the water, ready to meet the strange figure as it approached.

At the frontier where land ended and sea began, flecks of ocean spray aspersed him as the frothy tide rushed in, as if he were a babe receiving the rite of baptism.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting as the figure drew closer and grew clearer, he could begin to make out a face...

He let out a sharp gasp, his hand flying to his mouth. Blinking in utter disbelief, he thought – no, it couldn’t _possibly_ be.

(But then, was it any more impossible than waking up on an unknown beach with no recollection of how he had gotten there?)

He took a step back reflexively as this apparition (for what else could it be?) of Lenny Belardo, resplendent in his unclad glory, came up to him.

“Hello, John. I’ve been waiting for you.”


End file.
